HOW
WAS YOU AIRCRAFT REC. IN THE LAST ISSUE?
Here it is again in easier
picture form…Recognize it?
Yes….It’s
a “
Well
gentlemen……..this one was a little easier than usual!
The first
response was Nelson Sherren , then came
Sid
Harvey who
emphatically said “Beaufort……..” and of
course…
Padre
Ray Cole, Bill Learning and Norm MacFie knew all about the
Beaufort!!!
Here
is some interesting background of the Beaufort torpedo
bomber.
Derived from the Blenheim, the torpedo carrying Beaufort was inevitably heavier because the Air Staff demanded a crew of four. Performance on Mercury engines was inadequate and, after studying an installation of the sleeve-valve Perseus, the choice fell on the Taurus, an extremely neat two-row engine only 46 inches in diameter.
22
and 42 Squadrons of Coastal Command were fully operational by
August 1940. As well as laying hundreds of mines they bombed the battle
cruiser Scharnhorst,
torpedoed the Gneisenau
and sank numerous smaller ships.
In 1939 plans were laid for Beaufort production in
Mks V-VII had twin Wasp engines, most
of them made in
The
total built was 2080, including 700 built in
The
Beaufort…truly a great contributor to victory!
WE SENIORS ARE WORTH A
FORTUNE!!!
Remember….old folks are worth a
fortune, with silver in
their hair, gold in their teeth, stones in their kidneys, lead in their feet and
gas in their stomachs. I have become a little older since I saw you last and a
few changes have come into my life,
frankly, I have
become a frivolous old gal..
I
am seeing five gentlemen every day. As soon as I wake up, Will Power helps me
get out of bed. Then I go see John. Next Charlie Horse comes along and when he
leaves, Arthur Ritis shows up and stays the rest of
the day. He doesn’t like to stay in one place very long, so he takes me from
joint to joint. After such a busy day I’m really tired and glad to go to be with
Ben Gay.
What
a life!
P.S….The
preacher came in to call the other day. He said that at my age I should be
thinking about the hereafter. I told him:
“Oh, I do, all the time. No matter where I am, in the parlour, upstairs, in the kitchen or down in the basement, I ask myself – now…
What
am I here after?”
YOU KNOW YOU’RE
A NEWFOUNDLANDER WHEN….
Q Down south
means Grand Bank or Ferryland.
Q Your July BBQ
was moved indoors due to frost.
Q You are
unaware that there is a legal drinking age.
QYour idea of
creative landscaping is a statue of a moose next to your fir
tree.
Q You carry
jumper cables in your car and your girl friend knows how
to use them.
Q You measure
distance by hours.
Q You install
security lights on your house and garage and leave both
unlocked.
A
“HAPPY HOME” IS LIVING IN HEAVEN TODAY!
TEST
YOUR AIRCRAFT REC-WHAT’S THIS ONE?
Think
German…and call Sid at (709) 726-8569
OFF
THE CLOCK
by
Rebecca Dudley – News-Tribune Editor/Publisher
My
ex-husband
had this annoying habit of bringing greasy old carburetors and things into the
house to work on.
So, last week,
when my friend called me to tell me this story.
My
first response was, “Where did this guy
live?”
Now
reassured that I was never related to him by marriage, this is really too
hilarious not to share.
The
way my friend told it, this guy pushed his motorcycle from the patio into his
living room, where he began to clean the engine with some rags and a bowl of
gasoline. When he finished, he sat on the motorcycle and decided to start it to
make sure everything was OK. Unfortunately, the bike started in gear, and
crashed through the glass patio door with him still hanging to the handlebars.
His wife had been working in the kitchen. She came running at the noise, and
found him crumpled on the patio, badly cut from a shard of broken glass. She
called 911, and the paramedics transported the guy to the emergency
room.
So
far, the story is humourous in a “that is what you
get for being a big enough lout to bring you motorcycle into the house” kind
of way.
But
here is where I really cracked up! Later that afternoon, after many stitches had
pulled her husband back together, the wife brought him home and put him to
bed!!!
The
children
were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for
lunch.
At the
head of the table was a large pile of apples. The Nun made a note, and posted it
on the apple tray:
”Take
only ONE-God is watching.”
Moving
farther along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of
chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note:
“Take all you want. God is watching the
apples!”
….JUST
REMEMBER…IF THE WORLD DIDN’T
SUCK…
WE’D
ALL FALL OFF!
There
were two elderly people
living in a Mobile Home Park. He was a widower and she a widow. They had known
one another for a number of years.
One evening there was a community supper in the big activity center.
These two were at the same table, across from one another. As the meal went on,
he made a few admiring glances at her and finally gathered up enough courage to
ask her, “Will you marry me?” After about six seconds of consideration,
she answered,
“Yes,
Yes, I will.”
The meal ended and with a few more pleasant exchanges, they went to their
respective places. Next morning, he was troubled. “Did she say “Yes” or did
she say “No?” He couldn’t remember With trepidation, he went to the
telephone and called her. First, he explained to her that he couldn’t remember
as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past. As he gained a
little more courage, he then inquired of her, “When I asked if you would
marry me, did you say “Yes” or did you say “No?”
He
was delighted to hear her say, “Why I said, Yes, Yes I will, and I meant it
with all my heart.” Then she continued, “And I am so glad that you
called, because I couldn’t remember who had asked me.”
…..EVER
WONDER HOW DEEP THE OCEAN WOULD BE WITHOUT SPONGES?
A
little old lady was
sitting on a park bench in Trailer Estates, a
“Are you a stranger
here?”
He replies, “I lived here years ago.”
“So where have you been all these years?””In prison,”
he says.
“Why did they put you in prison?”
He looked at her and
very
quietly said, “I killed my wife.”
“Oh!”
said the woman………”So you’re single…”
IF
PEOPLE EVOLVED FROM APES….
WHY
ARE THERE STILL APES?
HAVE
YOU EVER WONDERED….
….about
the origin of the Roundel ?
It
came into being from pure necessity.
In
the opening weeks of the First World War, any aircraft flying over the lines
could expect a volley of rifle fire from either friend or foe on the ground. In
an attempt to secure safe passage for pilots flying over friendly lines, the
Union Jack in the form of a shield was painted on the underside of British
aircraft. Even though authorities later advocated the use of a larger Union
Jack, the plan was eventually dropped altogether.
At
a distance, the
The
Royal Flying Corps, (RFC), then turned to their French allies for inspiration.
The French had adopted the roundel based on the tri-colour. The RFC and The Royal Navy Air Service took this
Roundel and reversed the colours, making the outer
ring blue and the center red. The same Roundel has been carried on British
aircraft ever since.
On
Lord
Trenchard personally arranged the privilage, one that was retained by the RCAF at its
formation on
On
The
Roundel on the Ensign was also revised: and it is now a blue ring surrounding a
white area, in the center of which is the red Maple Leaf.
IF YOU CHANGE YOUR
ADDRESS
OR ‘PHONE NUMBER…PLEASE LET US
KNOW
Please
notify Maureen Power (Membership Chair) 579-5426
or…Sid
Butler – WING-SPAN Editor (709) 726-8569
Then…you
won’t miss anything!
TIME
FOR A SMILE
BREAK
The bride came down the aisle and when she reached
the altar, the groom was standing there with his golf bag and clubs at his
side.
She
said, “What are your golf clubs doing here?”
He looked
her right in the eye….and said:
“This
isn’t going to take all day, is it???
A
man came
home from work, sat down in his favourite chair,
turned on the TV, and said to hi wife, “Quick, bring me a beer before it starts.”She looked a little puzzled, but brought him a beer.
When he finished it, he said, “Quick, another beer. It’s gonna start.” .”That’s it!” She
blows her top! “ You lazy bum…you waltz in here, flop
yourself down, don’t even say hello to me and then expect me to run around like
your slave.”….The husband sighed…”It’s
started…”
They
had been flying
Suddenly,
as the aircraft cut its motors, the rear gunner flipped out of his turret and
landed with a sickening thud on his head, his parachute billowing over him.The crew ran over to see what was going on and found the
tail gunner out cold. As the pilot climbed down, they found out what had happened.They had been flying close to the enemy coast in
range of the German flak batteries, and the aircraft had received a great deal
of damage. The rear gunner’s oxygen and heat had been cut off in the shooting.
Unsure that he could keep the
Meanwhile, the rear gunner
had fallen asleep through cold and lack of oxygen. The landing must have jarred
him awake – and when they rolled into dispersal he was still groggy. As the
engines stopped the skipper had yelled out his customary,
Okay guys, Bail
out!”
which the gunner did, receiving a mild concussion and weeks of ribbing from the
lads.
It can buy a bed – but not sleep
It
can buy a clock – but not time
It
can buy a book – but not knowledge
It
can buy you a position – but not respect
It
can buy you medicine – but not health
It
can buy you blood – but not life
It
can buy you sex – but not love
So you
see, money isn’t everything, and it often causes pain and suffering. We tell you
all this because we are your friends, and
as your friends we want to
take away your pain and suffering…
So….send us all your
money and we will suffer for you!
THE
“GOLDFISH CLUB”
The
“GOLDFISH CLUB” was founded in 1942 by C. A.
Robertson, Chief Draftsman of Messrs. P. B. Cow & Co. Ltd.
The Club
was formed as an exclusive club for airmen who had survived a wartime aircraft
ditching and who owed their lives to the successful use of the Mae
West inflatable life preserver, a rubber dingy, other type of life raft, etc.
The Goldfish Club Badge shows a white-winged goldfish flying over two
symbolic blue waves. The name Goldfish was selected with gold for the value of
life and fish for the sea. Each new known member of the Goldfish Club was
presented with a heat-sealed waterproof membership card and an embroidered badge
with the financial backing of P. B. Cow. Due to wartime regulations, production
of wire badges was prohibited and all cloth was several rationed. These problems
were overcome with silk embroidery substituted for wire upon black cloth from
old evening dress suits that were sent by readers of the London Daily Express.The badge was generally worn by Naval Aircrews upon
their Mae Wests. Many RAF and USAAF Aircrew men placed
their badge under the flap of their left hand uniform
pocket.
AND…..”THE
CATERPILLAR PIN”
Most
of the members of
the Royal Air Forces Escaping Society wear with pride the tiny gold Caterpillar
Pin which is awarded by the Irvin Air Chute Company to anyone who saves his life
by parachuting from a disabled or flaming aircraft. Each recipient of the
Caterpillar Pin is living testimony to the life saving ability of the Irvin Type
Air Chute.
The
Caterpillar is symbolic of the silk worm, which lets itself descend gently to earth from heights by spinning a
silky thread upon which to hang. Parachutes in the early days were made from
pure silk.
About
1920, Leslie Irvin, a 24 year old stunt man from
The
Irvin Company started the “Caterpillar Club” and the practice of awarding the
gold Caterpillar Pin in 1922 because each life saved was the result of Irvin’s
invention, symbolizing Irvin’s dedication to safety
in the
air. It is estimated that at least 100,000 persons have saved their lives by
Irvin parachutes.
….A
“SPITFIRE” AT STATION
In
June 1942, Hurricane fighters
and Harvard trainers of 125 (Fighter) Squadron RCAF, (not to be
confused with the Royal Air Forces 125
(
Squadron
personnel practiced low level and formation flying, tail chasing maneuvers, dog
fighting, scramble and aerobatics. Other duties included search and rescue, dawn
and dusk patrols, and sector reconnaissance.
One
event of note that occurred during 125 Squadron’s tenure at
Late
in December 1942, the S.S. Empire Kingsley, en route from
Anti-submarine
patrols continued at
On 4
May 43,
Squadron Leader B. H. Moffit and crew sank, or
so it is believed, U-630 while covering slow speed convoy ON5. Recent
evidence suggests that the U-Boat in question may have been U-209.
Evidently, U-209 survived the attack, made contact with U-954 on
6May but disappeared with her 46 man crew the following day
(due perhaps to the damage inflicted on 4 May).
With
the official declaration of VE Day in May 1945, celebrations
commenced at Station Torbay where personnel were given
a forty-eight-hour pass from duty. On 3 June, for the last time,
Following
Divine Services at the Church of England Cathedral and
St.
Bonaventure’s College, the parade moved to the Newfoundland War Memorial where
the RCAF’s Air Officer Commanding in Newfoundland,
Air Commodore F. G. Wait took the salute at the March
Past.
THE
LADY OF THE SKIES
She’s
as sweet as any lady, yet she’s trim and plenty tough.
And
she’s got a nasty temper, if her treatment gets too
rough.
But
we love her and we trust her, she’s the sweetheart of the
crew.
She’s
our little homesick Angel and she’ll always see us
through.
Our
Skipper taught her manners; she’ll never disobey.
The
Nav. He
shows her right from wrong and leads her all the way.
The
Bomb Aimer is ready, to clear a path ahead.
The
AG’s do her fighting with a healthy dose of lead.
Our
Angel needs connections; so the WOP is on the bit;
beating out
a rhythm to the tune of dash and dit.
And
if her motors fail her (which we hope will never be)
She
has a flight mechanic, whose a technical M.
D.
Yes,
she climbs like a Homesick Angel, and never complains of
scars.
Just
ask our crew if we love her; and hear the loud
reply
Love
her – Yes, of course we do, there’s no other kite we’d
fly.
E.
G. C. Richards
INSCRIBED ON THE
KOHIMA WAR CEMETARY
IN
When
you go home
Tell
them of us and say
For
your tomorrow
We
gave our today
FOLLOWING
THE FLAG RAISING AT CITY HALL
L.
to R: Wing President Bruce Tricco…Bob Stone…Maureen
Power
…Fred
MacBay…Sid Harvey…Norman Macfie…Sid Butler
Wing
Padre Raymond B. Cole
The
RCAF Roundel flew proudly atop the main flagpole at
With
the cooperation and support of St. John’s Mayor Andy Wells, it has become a
tradition for Wing members to hold a brief ceremony at
This
year’s Battle of Britain Parade; Church Service and Wreath Laying Ceremonies at
the Newfoundland War Memorial were very successful. Thankfully, the weather
cooperated and brought a very comfortable sunny day for the
proceedings.
(A great contrast to the previous
year.)
It
takes good advance planning and cooperation between
9
Air Reserve Flight
15RCAF
(North Atlantic) WING
EXECUTIVE
COUNCIL
July
2006 – June 2007
President
Bruce Tricco
739-7715
!st Vice-President
John Hodder
726-8056
2nd
Vice President
Alex Coombs
753-0106
Immed.
Past President
William Moores
753-3523
Treasurer
Norman Macfie CD
753-6472
Secretary
Elizabeth Moores
753-3523
COMMITTEES
Ways and Means
William
Moores
753-3523
And Entertainment
John Hodder
726-8056
Advertising/Phone
Maureen Power
579-5426
Bar/Rentals
Norman Macfie CD
753-6472
Sports/Recreation
Robin Davis 726-4028
Membership
Maureen Power
579-5426
House
Maintenance
Sid Harvey
335-2438
Sick/Visiting
Ann Dawe
368-3142
WING-SPAN Editor
Sid Butler
726-8569
and Pubic
Relations
Quartermaster
Sid Butler
726-8569
Memorial Scholarship
Liz Moores
753-3523
Sergeant-at-Arms
Alex Coombs
753-0106
Honours and Awards
Frederick McBay CD
753-9235
Air Cadet
Sponsoring Nelson Sherren CD
739-5059
Web Master
Norman Porter
www.150rcafwing.com
Wing Padre
H/Col R. B. Cole CD
709 489-9295
Atlantic Group Reg.V/P Bruce
Tricco
739-7715
Air Force Liaison
Major Rod Long CD
570-4626
Benevolent Fund
Frederick MacBay CD
753-9235
Wing Steward
Jean
Collins
753-8970
BOARD OF
TRUSTEES
William Mooores – Nelson Sherren CD –
Frederick MacBay CD – Michael Spearns
President’s E-Mail address - bruce.tricco@nf.sympatico .ca
EVEN
MORE
LESSER
KNOWN FACTS OF W.W.II
-
CHURCHILL SPEECH -
After
the Dunkirk evacuation,
Churchill delivered his memorable speech to the House of Commons. Later that day
the speech was broadcast by the BBC to the rest of the world. What the listeners
didn’t know was that the speech was read by Norman Shelley who impersonated
Churchill’s voice. Winston had said,
“I
am rather busy, get an actor to do it.”
-
SUSPRISE! SURPRISE! -
-
INVASION -
As
of
-
WORLD RECORD -
Owing
to a navigational error, on
Women
of the third reich
GERDA
BORMANN
Wife
of Martin Bormann,
Head of Party Chancellery. A
fanatical adherent to Nazi ideology, she bore her husband ten children,
the first being named Adolf, after his
god-father. Of her husband’s mistress, Manja
Behrens, she wrote, “See to it that one year she has a child and next
year I have a child, so that you will always have a wife who is
serviceable.” After the war, the search for Gerda
Bormann ended when she was located in the
The
cremation and burial cost the German Government
$4,700.
ERNA
GRUHN
A
shorthand typist
with the Reich Egg Marketing Board, she married Hitler’s Minister of War,
Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg. The Fuhrer and
Goering were witnesses at the wedding on
EVA-MARIE
BUCH
A
bookseller,
she worked for the Schutze-Boysen-Harnack resistance
group (The Red Orchestra). Arrested on
On
NEW
YEARS’ EVE GALA
AT
“ THE WING “
WITH
YOUR FRIENDS
-
SUNDAY – DECEMBER 31ST -
Shrimp
Cocktail
Roast
Potatoes – Baby Carrots – Vegetable Medley
Dessert
Tea/Coffee
*************
Dancing to music of the 50s and 60s by” Joe Kelly” of
VOWR
Please
Note: Members in good standing have the opportunity to buy their tickets
and make reservations up to and
including
when tickets will become
available to guests of members
TICKETS
- $80.00 DOUBLE – ARE LIMITED
FOR TICKETS AND RESERVATIONS
OR
MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT WING STEWARD (JEAN)
– 753-8970 (after
PICK UP YOUR TICKETS ON OR BEFORE
FRIDAY DECEMBER
15TH.
( VISA
AVAILABLE)
A
glance back to the
Annual
OCTOBER “ great
flipper/prime rib fest
“
The
night was Monday, October 23rd…..another one to
remember!
We saw a
full house enjoy what has become known as
150
Wing’s
“Finest Feast of the
Chef
Frank Gauci and Prime Rib Specialist
Bill Moores
came through again with an
outstanding meal deserving the many accolades expressed by those in attendance.
John
Hodder did his usual fine job of
obtaining the Flippers and arranging the preparation by Chef Frank.
A special
thanks to the ticket sellers and,
“Spins
Manager”
Liz Moores for handling the spins so
efficiently.
Many
thanks to all who played a part in seeing that the meal was served quickly They did their usual great job.
One of
the many favourable comments following the meal
was,
“When are we/you having the next one?
We
won’t want to miss
it!”
Well….it looks like we’ll have to wait until April 2007 for
the next one! We’ll keep you posted.
-
WHERE WE ARE -
From
time to time guests of members, and people attending rental functions, ask
–
“Where
is the Wing located, and, how do we get there??”
So….we
thought this street map of the former
Pepperell
Air Force Base would help.
Most
people find entrance via
(on the left on the map)… is the easiest way.
Then…first
left and the next left on
…and
you’re there.
Hope
this helps!
-
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SEE
YOU AT “THE WING!”
Let us help you
celebrate
…IF
YOU ARE PLANNING A CHRISTMAS PARTY- OFFICE PARTY - PRIVATE OR FAMILY PARTY –
MEETING – BBQ – SPECIAL DINNER -BRIDAL SHOWER–WEDDING RECEPTION-
REUNION
WHY
NOT HOLD IT AT THE WING?
PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND
CONTACT
JEAN
AT 753-8970 ( AFTER 4 p. m.
)
Events
calendar
Upcoming functions for FALL/WINTER
2006
Wing Executive Council
Meetings – the 3rd Wednesday each
month
Ladies After Five Dinner – the 1st Tuesday each
month
Men’s After Five Dinner –
the 3rd Tuesday each month
Friday – October
27th – TGIF Dinner.………..Just $
Monday
– November 6th---Goods Bingo –
Saturday – November
11th – Armistice Dinner and Dance
Sunday - November 19th
Christmas Decorating Party
Monday
- December
4th----
Children’s Christmas Party –
(To be scheduled)
Sunday - December
31st--New Year’s Eve Gala-7:00 for
Members will be notified by
phone prior to these and other events as they are
scheduled
THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING
HAPPENING AT THETHE WING!
ANN
HAS DONE IT AGAIN!
Wing
Executive Council member Ann Dawe has donated
yet another “
It
is in its usual place on the Bar and will be drawn for at the New Year’s Eve
Gala.
This
is the fifth time Ann has contributed in this way.
Her
generosity has resulted in raising many, many hundreds of dollars for the Wing
and is very much appreciated by all.
Be
sure to get your ticket(s) the next time you visit the
Wing!
NEW
YEARS’ EVE GALA
AT
“ THE WING “
WITH
YOUR FRIENDS
-
SUNDAY – DECEMBER
31ST -
Shrimp
Cocktail
Roast
Potatoes – Baby Carrots – Vegetable Medley
Dessert
Tea/Coffee
*************
Dancing to music of “SMART SOUND”
Please
Note: Members in good standing have the opportunity to buy their tickets
and make reservations up to and
including
when tickets will become
available to guests of members
TICKETS
- $80.00 DOUBLE – ARE LIMITED
FOR TICKETS AND RESERVATIONS
OR
MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT WING STEWARD (JEAN)
– 753-8970 (after
PICK UP YOUR TICKETS ON OR BEFORE
FRIDAY DECEMBER 15TH.
( VISA
AVAILABLE)
ARMISTICE
DINNER AND
DANCE
150 RCAF Wing will be holding a
Special Evening
of
Dinner - Entertainment and
Dancing
on
Saturday,
November 11th
Guest
Speaker – Dr. W. David Parsons
Topic
– “Impressions of the Memorial Visit to
Time:-
MENU
Juice-
- - -Rolls
Entrée……….Roast
Loin of Pork
Roasted
Potatoes - - Vegetable Medley
Dessert
– Tea/Coffee
Dancing to the
music of????????
An evening
of
Dinner -
Entertainment and Dancing
Tickets -
$18.00 per person are limited
FOR
TICKETS AND RESERVATIONS
- OR
- MORE
INFORMATION
CONTACT
WING STEWARD (JEAN) – 753-8970 (after
Please
pick up your tickets on or before Thursday, November
9th
THE
ANATOMY OF MAN!!!
Where
can a man buy a cap for his knee,
Or a key for a lock of
his hair?
Can
his eyes be called an Academy,
Because there are pupils
there?
In the
crown of his head
What
gems are set?
Who
travels the bridge of his nose?
And…how does he shingle
the roof of his mouth,
With the nails on the end
s of his toes?
What
can he grow from a slip of his tongue,
Who
plays on the drums of his ears.
And…who knows the cut and
style
Of the
coat his stomach wears?
Can
the crook of his elbow be sent to jail,
If
so…what did it do?
And…how does he sharpen
his shoulder blades,
I’ll
be darned if I know….do you???